fearful will be their doom, Heb. x. 38. If any màn draw back, my foul fhall have no pleafure in him.

2. Those who are at a ftand in the way of religion. They have come up to a form of godliness, and they are like the door on the hinges. They are not striving to be forward in mortification.

3. Those who are growing worfe instead of growing better. They are like dead trees; fummer and winter is alike to them; they are never the better for all the warnings from the Lord's word or providence : but whatever God fays by providences or ordinances, they go on their own way, adding one finful ftep to another.

Inf. 2. Improve ordinances for spiritual growth. 0, it is fad to be fitting under means of grace, but never growing. This is the ready way to provoke the Lord to remove ordinances.

Inf. 3. Let the leaft fpark of true grace be nourished, for it will grow, If. xlii. 3.

Inf. 4. Lastly, Labour to be growing Chriftians.

II. Of Perfeverance in Grace.

PERSEVERANCE in grace is another benefit flowing from, or accompanying juftification.

Here I fhall fhew,

1. What this perfeverance is.

2. How it is to be understood.

3. That the faints fhall perfevere to the end. 4. What are those things which make hypocrites fall away, but over the belly of which faints perfe

vere.

5. The grounds of the perfeverance of the faints. 6. The means of perfeverance.

7. Laftly, Apply.

FIRST, I fhall fhew what this perfeverance is. To perfevere, is to continue and abide in a ftate into which one is brought. And this perfeverance is a

firm and constant continuance in the state of grace, even to the end of one's life, Matth. x. 22. Col. i. 2 3. It is opposed to total apoftafy, and utter falling away from grace. It is continuing and holding on, joined to a good beginning.

SECONDLY, I am to fhew how this perfeverance is to be understood.

1. It is not to be understood of all who profess Chrift. Hypocrites may be feeming faints, and may have feeming grace, which may blaze for a while, and afterwards be quite extinguished, totally and finally loft, John vi. 66. There are temporary believers, who continue for a while, but having no root, do wither quite away, Matth. xiii. 21. Mere outfide Chriftians, and Chriftians in the letter, may fo apoftatize, as to lofe all and never recover.

2. It is to be understood of all real faints, thofe who are endowed with faving grace. Those who, by virtue of regeneration, may call God their Father, as well as the church their mother, fhall abide in his fa mily, and never fall out of it, John viii. 35. Though the counterfeit of grace may be utterly loft, yet real grace cannot. We own,

(1.) Saints may lofe the evidence of grace, fo that they cannot difcern it in themfelves. Thus it may fuffer an eclipfe, If. 1. 10. Sometimes a child of God not only believes, loves, &c. but knows he does fo: but at other times it may be out of his fight, fo as he may apprehend he has none. The jewel may fall by, though it cannot fall away; and the fpiritual hufband may lock up himself in his chamber from his fpoufe, though he never quite leaves the house.

(2.) Saints may lofe the exercife of grace, Cant. v. 2. Though the holy fire be not quite put out, yet it may ceafe to flame for a while; though they have fpiritual armour lying by them, they may be fo benumbed with the prevailing of corruption, that they cannot wield it. Wife virgins may flumber and fleep, as well as the foolish.

(3.) They may lofe much of the measure of grace they have had. True grace, though it cannot die out, yet is fubject to languishing and decays in the ftrength thereof, Rev. iii. 2. They may lofe much of their love to God and one another, Rev. ii. 4. ; much of their former tenderness, as David's heart fmote him when he cut off the lap of Saul's garinent, but afterwards was guilty of murder and adultery; much of their liveliness in duties, Rev. iii. 2. and fo of other graces. But,

[1] Saints can never lofe grace finally, fo as never to recover it, 1 Pet. i. 5. John vi. 39. No doubt a child of God may ftray away from the Lord, as well as another but though a fervant may go, and never return to the house, yet a son will be fought out and brought back again, Pfal. cxix. ult. John xiii. 35. And the fervant abideth not in the house for ever; but the Son abideth ever. So however far the faints may go wrong, the Lord will recover them.

[2.] Saints never lofe grace totally neither; they never lofe it altogether, though for ever fo fhort a while, 1 John iii. 9. Their lamp may burn dim, but it is never quite put out; they may fall back, fall very low, fo as themfelves and others may have little hopes of their recovery, but they never fall off, never fall away, Pfal. xxxvii. 24. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly caft down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hands

Both these hold true of relative grace; that is, there is no falling out of the ftate of juftification, adoption, union with Chrift, peace with God, the love of God, &c. and of inherent grace, faith, love, the fear of God, &c.

THIRDLY, I proceed to fhew that the faints fhall perfevere to the end. This is evident from,

1. The Lord's own promifes. He has faid it, and will he not do it? John x. 28. 29. Pfal. cxxv. I. They that trust in the Lord fhall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. It is true, they have many enemies that watch to do them mischief, X X

VOL. II.

but the Lord has promifed to guard them, If. xxvii. 3. I the Lord do keep it, I will water it every moment; left any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. They may fall into fin, and provoke the Lord to anger against them; but he has promifed, that though he lay his hand on them, he will not lift his love off them, Pfal. lxxxix. 31-34. Though they may be forfaken, yet it fhall neither be total nor final, If. liv. 7.-10.

2. From the faints confidence of perfeverance and eternal life. How confident was Afaph, Pfal. lxxiii. 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counfel, and afterwards receive me to glory? If the faints could fall away from grace, how could they rejoice in hope of the glory of God? Rom. v. 2. How could Paul triumph over death, life, angels, principalities, powers; things prefent and to come, height, depth, &c.? Rom. viii. 38. 39. Confidence in their own management, is not the way of the godly, Prov. xxviii. 26. He that trufteth in his own heart is a fool.

3. Lastly, According to the fcripture, perfeverance is a difcriminating mark betwixt the elect and nonelected, Matth. xxiv. 24.; as alfo betwixt real faints and hypocrites, Luke viii. 13. 14. 15. 1 John ii. 19. From whence we may gather, that the utter apostasy of the elect faints is impoffible in refpect of the decree of God; that thofe who get true grace, keep it to the end, while others lofe theirs; and that they who utterly apoftatize, never were true faints.

FOURTHLY, I fhall fhew what are thofe things which make hypocrites fall away, but over the belly of which faints perfevere. In the general there are three things.

1. Satan's temptations, 1 Pet. v. 8. He is a fubtle, powerful, and malicious enemy, a liar and murderer from the beginning. Whatever hopeful figns are found about any, he fets himself to rob them of them, for their ruin. He feeks to fet the hypocrite and the fincere through the wind, and prevails to blow away the one, but not the other. By a miracle of

grace the faints are preferved amidst his fiery darts, Luke xxii. 32.

2. The world's fnares. While profeffors are in the world, there are fnares to catch them, and carry them off the way. (1.) The world's profperity is a great fnare, and makes many apoftates, Prov, i, 32. & xxx. 9. But true grace will hold out againft it, Cant. viii. 7. (2.) Its adverfity. Tribulation and perfecution offends the temporary believer, and makes a fcattering among Chrift's fummer friends, Matth. xiii. 20. 21. But the true Chriftian will weather out the ftorm; Job xvii. 9. The righteous alfo fhall hold on his way, and be that bath clean bands shall wax ftronger and stronger. Poverty ftrips many of their religion, but not a true faint, Rev. xiv. 4. (3) The example of the world; the torrent of an ungodly generation ftrips many of their form of godlinefs, Matth. xxiv. 12. Because iniquity hall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But the faints thall not be carried away with the stream, Pfal. xii. 7. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preferve them from this generation for ever,

3. Lastly, The corruptions and lufts of the heart. Thefe betray the hypocrite into apoftafy, Jer. iv. 3: Compare Luke viii. 14. Lutts lulled afleep for a while, but not mortified, rife up and make fhipwreck of many fouls. But true grace is never quite expelled by the fiefh's luftings againft it; but by the power of God is preferved, like a fpark of fire in the midst of an ocean,

FIFTHLY, I proceed to fhew the grounds of the perfeverance of the faints,

1. The unchangeable decree of God's election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of the Father to them, Electing love is free love, and also unchangeable, Jer. xxxi. 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee. And God's purpose of grace and falva tion cannot be difappointed, 2 Tim, ii. 19. The purpose of God ftandeth fure, having this feal, The Lord know

eth them that are his.